AN: Wow! Guys, 900+ views in such a short time? I feel so loved! Thanks so much. I've kept my promise! … Wow so many reviews to reply to… That's a good problem.
And to Me and Gaara 4ever, haha, If you came to live at my school, you'd have to hide under my bed... I'm glad to hear you find my writing so entertaining.
And to Thomas Drovin, I liked Hinata's shy side too, but if you're trying to get a guy, and shyness isn't working, it's time to kick it aside and adopt a more strong personality. You get what I'm saying? That's what annoyed me about that. If you have a dumb-blond like Naruto, you kind of need to be obvious, at least to him. And yeah, Lynne is about to get her chance. ^.^
And to GrimSpeck18, How did I know you'd say that?
And to Repentless Wind, haha, you're about to get thrown for a loop now, aren't you? ^.^
And to princessSiyaka, Haha, well it's not as slutty as you think. I didn't say mini-skirt. I said short skirt, meaning mid-thigh. Medium skirts are knee-length, and long are… well you get it.
And to perfect-piscies, You are very perceptive. But you will find out very soon, but I don't think you know exactly what's going on, but you're very close! ^.^
And to Gaara's1Girl, You too are very perceptive. I did get Cordi and Fred from Angel. The girl I actually based Fred's character on, well she said if she changed her name, it would be Winnifred, so that's why. And for Cordi, I usually use Victoria… but that name was ruined by a girl I went to school with last year, so yeah. As for the whole Matsuri thing… well you'll find out in a few short paragraphs. And the dragons… well actually I took the idea from the Inheritence series (you know, Eragon, Eldest, Brisingr, those). But I wanted the dragons to be able to talk-talk, not just minds linked together, that's boring.
Special Thanks to Gaara's1Girl for adding my story to your faves or to your alerts!
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or its characters etc. You know the drill.
Chapter Seventeen: Matsuri's Reason
Cordi opened the door a little more, because Matsuri stood there dumbfounded, not really registering the fact that Cordi, who happened to hate Matsuri's guts for a very good reason right now, was offering her into the Subaku house. "Well, come on. I'm figuring you want to talk to Gaara and Kankuro, right?" Cordi asked snippishly. Matsuri nodded and walked in. As soon as she was in, Cordi shut the door with a loud bang, reminding Matsuri of a cop locking a prisoner in jail. I don't get you! I thought you hated her! Aleera snapped.
I do hate her. And normally I would have shut the door on her face, but she has to talk to them now. And my principles will not deny her that right, Cordi explained to her dragon.
Whatever! Aleera said. Cordi felt Aleera's mind recede from hers, and sighed.
"KANKURO, GAARA!! ONE OF YOU HAS A BUN IN THE OVEN!! GET YOUR ASSES DOWN HERE!!" Cordi called upstairs. Matsuri gave her a strange look, but then heard rustling upstairs.
"I don't remember cooking anything, do you?" Kankuro asked. They got to the open part of the hallway just in time for Cordi and Matsuri to see Gaara shake his head to his brother. They both looked down as they reached the top of the stair, then saw Matsuri. "What is she doing here?" Kankuro growled. Both men were glaring at the woman who toyed with their hearts, making Matsuri look down at the ground in shame.
"Come on, we gotta' talk," Cordi growled in a bored tone. Gaara and Kankuro could tell that something was going on that Cordi was not happy about. So they walked down the stairs and into the living room, grabbing a seat on the couch. Gaara frowned at the couple articles of Cordi and him lying on the coffee table, with a note saying, "Do you mind explaining this to me? Because, honestly, I'm stumped." But he chose to ignore it and take on the problem at hand. Matsuri just walked in, escorted by Cordi, who then took the chair, making Matsuri stand in front of the Subaku brothers.
"What's this all about?" Kankuro asked, really wanting this over with. Gaara just stayed silent and scowled.
"Well, go ahead. Tell them," Cordi instructed Matsuri, looking at her like a cat would a mouse.
Matsuri looked at the pained men, knowing it was all her fault, and feeling really guilty about it. "I, I don't know…" Matsuri started.
"Well, then, let me," Cordi smiled, obviously passive aggressively, which was always an expression that scared any one of the Subakus. "Matsuri is pregnant. And I'm betting she doesn't know which one is the father. I know I wouldn't if I was doing you two at the same time," Cordi replied to the Subaku men, who just gawked at her.
"H-how did you know?" Matsuri asked, eyes wide.
"Oh, please. It's only as obvious as Gaara's scar. You're lactating," Cordi pointed. "Only pregnant women do that, especially when they're stressed." Matsuri looked down ashamed again. Gaara and Kankuro stared wide-eyed at Cordi and then at Matsuri, confirming what Cordi had said. Matsuri did have two wet spots on her shirt where her nipples would be. One of them was going to be a father, and neither of them could believe it. "How old are you again?" Cordi asked, a little confused.
"Sixteen," Matsuri muttered.
Cordi's eyes went wide. "Damn," she gasped. Then she turned to the boys and said, "Where I come from, you two would be skewered for statutory rape." They looked at her confused, then back to Matsuri, whose eyes were down cast.
"Look, I know what I did was wrong, but I have my reasons. Please just let me explain," Matsuri stated, looking back up the men whom she had already hurt so much.
Kankuro's eyebrow shot up. Gaara's lips pursed into a thin line, while he narrowed his eyes at his old student. "Oh, this should be good," Cordi laughed sarcastically. "Did you hear that guys? She has a reason for breaking your hearts." Matsuri frowned at Cordi, but Kankuro and Gaara allowed her bullying to go on.
"Look, when I started dating Kankuro, my aunt found out and told me that I had to break up with him and date Gaara instead, just because she could demand a bigger dowry from him because he's the Kazekage," Matsuri started. Cordi could tell this little tidbit of information ticked Gaara off to no end, even though his face remained emotionless. Cordi licked her lips nervously. "She also said that if I didn't, she was going to kick me out. I had nowhere to go, and I couldn't even think of dumping Kankuro because I actually loved him," Cordi could see Gaara's chest flutter, showing his heart was re-breaking, as he struggled to hold his emotionless mask up. He blinked several times, pushing back tears. "At first I thought I could just pretend I was dating you, like just tell her that we were dating, but not actually go through with it. But she got really nosy, checking my diary, my receipts, even talking to your guards at the Kazekage building. It became inevitable for me to have to date you. So I told Kankuro that our relationship had to be a secret because my aunt didn't approve of him, and I had known he hadn't told you and Temari that because I had asked him not to until I was ready. I wasn't sure if you or Temari would originally approve of our relationship. When I went home that night, I told my aunt I had broken up with Kankuro. And a couple weeks later, I started dating Gaara. And Kankuro, every time something happened between us, it was only you I saw. That I swear." Gaara's eyes shut again, being clenched shut for five seconds, his jaw quivering. Cordi felt her heart breaking for Gaara, because his heart had nothing left to break and she could feel that through her empathic imagination. All she had to do was see someone in pain, and she felt it too.
"I wasn't going to tell you guys about the baby until I knew who the father is, and I was going to break up with the other one no matter what. I was going to get the paternity test, until Cordi came over and punched me in the face, making me realize you both knew about both my relationships. So, I decided to see if I could talk to you both at Kankuro's party, and set a date on when we could go to the clinic. But then that happened," Matsuri stated pointing at the article. "And with the hormones and the nerves, I lost it and ran. And I told you how nosy my aunt was. My aunt was taking out the trash today, and after that, she told me she noticed the pregnancy tests in my bathroom trashcan. I had hidden them for when I was going to tell you and didn't toss them out until after the party incident. So now that I'm considered 'spoiled goods,' and she can't demand a dowry anymore, she kicked me out. And now I have nowhere to go," Matsuri finished, looking down at her feet.
It was silent for a little while. "You guys still have dowries in this world?" Cordi asked, obviously disgusted. Matsuri nodded solemnly.
Kankuro was obviously still processing the information, his face in a perplexed frown. It didn't take too much for Gaara to understand. He quickly stood up, inhaling a lot of air. His entire body was shaking, even his lips were quivering, as was his jaw. His nostrils were twitching, and he blinked slowly several times. His fists were clenched at his sides, shaking. Suddenly, he looked down and said quickly, "If you'll please excuse me." With that, he made a hasty exit.
Cordi felt a sudden urge to follow him, and she walked out of the living room, not even caring to excuse herself, following Gaara to the indoor garden, which was set underneath the balcony. He sat on a stone bench in front of the rose bushes and in between the lilies, his head in his hands, and his back shuddering with sobs. His breathing was ragged, and his hands gripped his hair tighter, nearly pulling out the wine red strands. Cordi sat next to him, putting her arm around his shoulders, rubbing his back. He looked up, quickly trying to stop the never ending waterfall of tears. He'd dry his face, but more came out. His light aqua eyes red and puffy, and his eyeliner painting his cheeks black.
"I-I'm s-sorry," he hiccoughed, having no control over his breathing. "I'm n-not usually this e-emoti-tional about st-stuff."
He was going to continue, but Cordi just said, "Sh," putting a finger to his lips to silence him. He looked at her, so broken all over again. "Just cry it out. Just go ahead and cry." She could feel his back shudder again as his eyes closed and fresh tears flowed down his cheeks. "Come here," Cordi instructed, pulling him over to lean on her shoulder. She pulled her other arm around his body, rubbing his back again. He had his eyes rested in the crook of her shoulder, tears flowing freely from his eyes to her shirt. He brought his arms weakly around her, but then tightened his grip, and let the dams break. She brought one hand up to his head to stroke his hair to calm him. No matter how good crying could be for the soul, ragged breathing like that, making the crier hyperventilate, was never good. Her other hand rubbed his back, feeling his shuddering lungs with every sob … with every breath. His hands gripped her shirt tighter as she kept running her hand through his hair.
It was a good thirty minutes before he calmed down and stopped crying. His fists unclenched, releasing Cordi's shirt. He pulled away from her shoulder, noticing her white dyed with black tears tank top. "I'm so sorry about that," Gaara motioned.
"It's alright. I offered you my shoulder," Cordi reminded, patting his shoulder. He nodded slowly, then looked to the door.
Kankuro had been standing there, waiting for a chance to talk with Gaara. Gaara nodded him over, wiping his eyes and making himself a little more presentable. Cordi stood up so Kankuro could sit down next to Gaara, but she stood right in front of them. "Gaara, I know you aren't going to like this, but the one of us who is the father should marry her. I've thought through several possibilities, and that's the best one I could come up with. We can't just send her away because she is carrying a Subaku child. I can't fathom sending both of them out to fend for themselves, especially an innocent child." Gaara was nodding through Kankuro's explanation.
"I agree," Gaara stated. Kankuro nodded solemnly.
"We should get the paternity test done today," Kankuro added. "I don't know about you, but I would like to know which one of us is the father." Gaara nodded in agreement with that. Kankuro nodded again awkwardly, then got up, helping Gaara up in the process. "Well, let's go."
They had been waiting in the doctor's office for almost an hour. They had already gotten the main part of the test done, which was drawing blood. That was fun, considering it was nearly impossible for Gaara to give blood because the sand got in the way of the needle every single time. The first three times, the doctor just scowled at the intruding sand.
"Isn't there another way we can do the test?" Gaara asked, glaring at the needle in the doctor's hands.
"Sorry Gaara. The only other one is the DNA test, and since you and Kankuro are brothers, it would be too close to tell. Blood is the only one that can eliminate even between brothers," Cordi explained.
"And you know this how?" Kankuro asked, an eyebrow lifted at Cordi's relaxed pose. Matsuri also looked curious, not quite understanding how Cordi knew this either.
"I wanted to be a Nurse when I got out of college. So I took all the medical classes I could in high school. Biology, Genetics, Anatomy, you name it. Blood type is the only thing that can really differentiate between close family members. For example, I have O positive blood, but my sister is A negative, but my brother is O negative… he might be A positive, but I can't remember. The three of us have completely different blood types though, carrying completely different proteins for our bodies to function. It's a very common test in my world, because if there is a possibility of fatherhood, it will eliminate the ones who are not the father the fastest, even with brothers," Cordi explained in a completely bored tone.
"Well, how does it do that?" Gaara asked, slightly confused by her explanation.
"Let's say you have AB negative blood. Kankuro has O negative blood. And to make everything simple, Matsuri has O positive blood. If the baby's blood type is O, then it's Kankuro's. If it's A or B, then it's yours," Cordi explained, still bored, leaning her head back against the cabinets above the counter she was leaning against.
"This isn't working," the doctor sighed, frustrated with the sand's constant interference.
Gaara was about to mutter his apologies when Cordi interrupted him by asking, "Gaara why don't you try biting down as hard as you can on your thumb?" He gave her a questioning look, confused at her suggestion. "I don't think your sand will injure you to keep you from injuring yourself. It would be an oxymoron if it did," Cordi stated, "And, you'd still be bleeding, which is what we need for the test." Gaara grimaced, then nodded, showing that he understood her reasoning. He pulled his thumb up to his mouth, and bit into the meaty part of his thumb hard. He had to bite a little harder until his teeth were actually able to puncture the skin. Once it did though, he pulled his thumb away and held it to the doctor. The doctor quickly put an empty vile under the Kazekage's thumb, grabbing and putting pressure on his thumb to cause more droplets of blood fill the jar.
Once the doctor got his blood, he nodded over to the sink in the corner and said, "Why don't you go ahead and wash that off. I'll go start the test." With that, the doctor scurried out the door with the four viles of blood he collected.
Gaara stood up to wash his thumb, hissing a little as the soap hit his tooth imprint. When he had finished drying off his hands, he noticed Cordi was holding a band-aid up to him. "Thanks," he grumbled, taking the band-aid out of her outstretched hand. He then realized how hard it was to put a band-aid on with only one thumb.
"You're hopeless," Cordi mumbled, snatching the band-aid away from him and putting it on his thumb herself. Then she turned back around to her previous position, earning a small perplexed frown from Gaara.
"Why are you here again?" Matsuri asked, a little uncomfortable with Cordi's glare.
"All three of you asked me to come for emotional support," Cordi explained, still bored. "Because I'm the only one who is neutral on the matter."
Liar Aleera scoffed. Cordi mentally frowned at her dragon. She knew her being neutral was lying through her teeth, considering she really liked the Kazekage. But they need someone to be strong, and Cordi felt that responsibility was hers. This is probably the last time you and Gaara have a chance. I thought I told you he was a keeper.
Gaara and I never had a chance Cordi corrected. I think that he just wants to be friends. And I guess I'll be just fine with just being friends…
You will so not be just fine Aleera laughed. Come on, Cordi. This guy has you so conflicted, you don't even know what you want anymore! You need to wake up and get a grip on your feelings before it's too late!
Cordi set her jaw and scowled. Aleera, do us a favor, and but out.
Fine Aleera growled. Just know, when it's too late, I'll be the one saying I told you so.
Cordi sighed as she felt Aleera's mind receding from hers. She felt her heart lower and suddenly get heavy. She shouldn't have talked to Aleera like that. "I need to get some water," Cordi sighed, then walked out of the room, and down to the water fountains next to the bathrooms. She calmly closed her eyes, then punched the wall, angry with everything going on. It was always the same crap going on with her. In any relationship, nothing ever seemed to go right. The guys she was always crushing on, the one main thing in common with them was that they always liked someone else. Why should Gaara be any different? She felt a tear roll down her cheek. Not wanting anyone to see, she quickly wiped it away. She shoved her feelings back down and placed the bored mask on.
"You know, you always are telling me it's good to cry," she heard a raspy, dark, and velvety voice say behind her. She quickly turned around to see the redhead who had been setting her heart a flutter for several weeks now. "Why aren't you listening to your own advice?" Gaara asked, with a wise voice beyond his years.
Cordi took a deep breath, her lungs shuddering a little. "Because what I'm crying about is petty," Cordi answered, sniffling. He gave her a skeptical look and took a step forward.
He placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, then said, "Nothing is too petty if you're crying over it. You rarely cry." She nodded, knowing what he said to be true. "You want to tell me?" he offered.
Oh, how she wanted to tell him. Oh, how she wanted to hug him, and kiss him, and chase all of his worries away. She wanted to tell him how much she wanted to be more than just the understanding friend. She wanted to be more than just the shoulder to lean on. But she couldn't tell him. It would be too inappropriate. Especially now. "No," Cordi answered. He gave her a concerned look. "This – This I want to bottle." With that she walked further down the hall and out the doors to the lobby area, leaving Gaara standing there alone in the hallway. She didn't notice the look of pain on his face as she denied him the offer she had given him so many times before. She didn't see the sadness in his eyes as he watched her walk down the hallway away from him, leaving him alone. He was alone – again.
"You called for me?" Lynne asked, walking into the Hokage's office. She was a little timid, considering she knew she was being sent on her first big mission.
"Yes," Tsunade smiled. "This is Sasuke Uchiha. He will be joining you on this two-man mission."
Lynne's eyes went wide. She turned to see the man Tsunade was pointing at. Indeed it was Sasuke, but he looked different from how she imagined him to look at this age. He wore black carpenter shorts, a white form-fitting tank top with a small Uchiha symbol on the back. His head-band was tied to a belt loop on his shorts. On his black leather belt around his shorts, held a sheath with his katana in it. He held a bored hand on his hip, leaning on one foot. Lynne had to admit, the pose was sexy. His hair was that blue-ish black and had that weird swoosh in the back. He had long bangs sprouting from his hair line.
He slowly looked over to Lynne, who almost had a heart attack. His dark gaze bored into her. He had eyes as black as the moonless night. He had the pale complexion of myths. It was hard for Lynne not to jump him right there. His mouth was set in an indifferent frown. Then she caught sight of a jagged scar over his left cheekbone. It was still pink, so it must have happened not too long ago, but it looked like it healed as much as it would. She would have to ask about it later, she figured.
Tearing her gaze away from the Konohan dream boy, she asked "May I bring Saryu along?"
"Only for transportation reasons. He will have to leave as soon as you reach there. I know the trouble you'll have to face though with him gone," Tsunade stated.
"No, it should be fine," Lynne smiled. Then she turned to Sasuke giving him a cheery grin. She had found her man.
"This is one of the girls from the other world?" Sasuke asked in a cool voice. Tsunade nodded. She looks positively dull. What a loser. She can't be that special She heard Sasuke mutter in his mind.
Lynne's cheery face dropped to a scowl. "I'm more special than you think I am," Lynne growled, turning on her heel and leaving.
The last thing she could hear running through Sasuke's head was Did I say that out loud?
It was only a couple hours later that the doctor came back with the test results. Cordi had since calmed down and come back inside. The doctor walked over to the two brothers, who had been waiting patiently for the anxious news. The doctor looked at them evenly, then with an open hand, he grasped Kankuro's hand and said, "Congratulations." Cordi instantly felt relieved.
Kankuro's and Gaara's eyes were wide. "I-I'm going to be a father?" Kankuro asked. The doctor smiled and nodded. Gaara's face fell slightly, then he recovered himself and turned to his brother.
"Congratulations," Gaara said, a small smile playing on his lips. He shook his brother's hand then walked out of the room, a confused look showing through as his back faced most of the group. Cordi followed him out, figuring Kankuro would probably want to talk with Matsuri in private. He was going to marry her now after all, at least that was the plan. Gaara sat on a bench outside, his hands clasped and arms resting on his knees.
"How you feeling?" Cordi asked.
"Why should I tell you? You don't trust me enough to tell me anything," Gaara muttered, frowning at himself, avoiding her face at all costs. Suddenly, he felt like he was acting like a sour puss.
"Look, I was upset because Aleera and I got in a small fight over something that's been bothering me for awhile," Cordi explained. He looked at her hopefully again, wishing she would open up a little to him. "But, it's boring, and you wouldn't care about it." He looked down again, biting his lip, wondering if he should tell her his conflicting feelings.
Gaara sighed, deciding to be the better person, and actually sharing his thoughts a little. "I guess I'm confused because," Gaara started, "well, I've been prepping myself for several hours now in case I was the father. Before today, I never really thought about being a parent. But now that I've been thinking about it non-stop for five or six hours, I don't think it would be that bad. I think I'd actually enjoy being a father. So, I psyched myself up in case I was going to be a father, why shouldn't I be happy if I have a child on the way? And then, it just flips." Cordi nodded, understanding where he was coming from. "I guess I just have to get my bearings. It just confused me," he added, rubbing his hands on his knees.
"Well, you'll get another chance," Cordi offered. "I'm sure there are tons of girls who would date you."
"You aren't talking about the fan girls, are you?" Gaara asked, "Because they scare the shit out of me."
"Ha ha," Cordi laughed, "no, I wasn't talking about them. But they probably would be very willing to date you." Then suddenly, both of them imagined Gaara on a date with a fan girl, and both shivered. "I'm sure a girl less – creepy will come a long and give you a chance," Cordi then offered. Gaara nodded, smiling a little, but barely holding back a chuckle.
Early the next morning, Sasuke stood at the gates of Konoha, waiting for Lynne to arrive. He was bored, obviously. He was always bored. Not much ever piqued his interest. The only thing that plagued his mind now was how much Lynne had heard from his mind. Tsunade had told him after Lynne left that Lynne could read minds, and that was one of many special powers she had. Sasuke although had no informants on who Saryu was. All he could figure was that it was a horse or something like it that she could travel on, because Tsunade also mentioned that they weren't fast, like most ninjas.
A roar was heard over the houses of Konoha, making Sasuke look up. Rising over the houses, he saw a white, long weasel shaped lizard beast flying over towards his direction. It had two brown antlers, a goatie, and whiskers adorning his face. He gained a shocked expression as it landed, being the size of the tower they had to run to in the Chuunin exams, and seeing Lynne riding on his shoulder blades.
"Need a lift?" Lynne asked smartly to Sasuke, who could only gape at the huge dragon standing in front of him, its scales gleaming in the early morning sun.
AN: Sorry for those who read this chapter earlier without the finishing touches. Like to Me and Gaara 4ever, I forgot to add my reply to your review, and I felt so terrible that I actually published it without that and without the dividers and stuff. Really sorry about that. I had to run and print of an English paper, (I know! "ALREADY!?" Yet again, college.) And then, I met some people and we got talking about random stuff like music and yeah. I would have done this sooner if I realized, and now I just feel retarded... Anyway, please remember to review! ... Now I'm really hungry... I think I need a midnight snack...